Automatic turkey nesting apparatus

Abstract

An elongated plural nest section for a poultry nesting system providing nests arranged as a plurality of like modular sections. Each section is an elongated enclosure providing the nests with front access openings. A lifting at a rear edge portion of the nest bottoms that collectively raises all the nest bottoms about a front axis from a lowered laying position to an elevated upwardly tilting expulsion position to eject poultry from the nests. A nest access controlling wire gate/trip for the access opening of each nest to be swung downwardly from a first open position to a blocking second during passage of a hen into the nest. A time controlled motor and cable arrangement swings the nest bottoms concurrently to an upwardly titled expelling position and returns the gate/trip assembled to the said first positions.

I claim: 
     
       1. A poultry nesting system comprising a long side-by array of individual chambers defining nests arranged as a plurality of elongated plural nest sections of like modular construction, each section defining an elongated enclosure formed of vertical parallel end and intermediate side panels, top and bottom panels, and a rear wall providing the nests with front access openings to the respective nests along a front side of the enclosure, a hinged nest bottom for each respective nest overlying said bottom panel having an upper surface for receiving eggs thereon laid by the poultry hen occupying the nest, the hinged nest bottoms being tiltable about a common hinge axis member to cause eggs thereon to roll down to an egg discharge opening at the lower front side of the enclosure, a lifting tube member longitudinally spanning each respective section secured to a rear edge portion of the hinged nest bottoms for collectively raising all the nest bottoms of the associated section about the hinge axis member from a laying position to an elevated upwardly tilting expulsion position to eject poultry from the nests, a nest access controlling assembly for each nest pivotally mounted at the top of each access opening comprising a trip gate having a first position normally depending vertically downwardly over the major portion of the height of the access opening and a barrier forming entry control gate portion pivotally linked to the trip rod formation and normally extending horizontally outwardly from the top of the trip rod formation at said first position, the entry control gate portion being swung downwardly to a blocking second position over the access opening upon engagement of a hen with the trip rod formation during passage of a hen into the nest barring entry of a second hen into an already occupied nest, and time controlled poultry ejecting means coupled to said lifting tube member and to the entry control gate for the respective section to raise the lifting tube member about an arc shifting the nest bottoms concurrently to said upwardly tilted expelling position and return the entry control gate to the said first position in accordance with a pre-selected expelling and laying cycle. 
     
     
       2. A poultry nesting system as defined in claim 1, wherein said poultry ejecting means includes an elongated lift bar spanning the length of the associated section supported above the access openings by pivot mounting means normally supporting the lift bar at a lowered position freeing the gate portions for downward movement responsive to their linkage with the associated gate formation when the latter is displaced rearwardly by engagement with a first hen passing inward through the access opening, the pivot mounting means being raised by the ejecting means coupling therewith during an expulsion cycle to lift all the associated gate portions and restore them to said first positions. 
     
     
       3. A poultry nesting system as defined in claim 1, wherein said poultry ejecting means includes a drive motor and winch drum and cable means secured to the drum and extending about pulleys to the lifting tube member to raise the latter upon winding of the cable on said drum and lift the nest bottoms concurrently to said upwardly tilting expelling position. 
     
     
       4. A poultry nesting system as defined in claim 2, wherein said poultry ejecting means includes a drive motor and winch drum and cable means secured to the drum and extending about pulleys to the lifting tube member to raise the latter upon winding of the cable on said drum and lift the nest bottoms concurrently to said upwardly tilting expelling position. 
     
     
       5. A poultry nesting system as defined in claim 1, wherein said nest access assembly includes a stationary anchoring member at the top thereof and said barrier forming entry control gate portion is formed of rod members including a cross rod near the top thereof fixed to gate rod portions defining the barrier formations which extend outwardly in said first position and downwardly in the blocking second position, and a coil spring tension connecting an offset mid-portion of said cross rod of each respective entry control gate assembly to said anchoring member providing an overcenter spring means retracting said gate portion to occupy a selected downwardly extending angular relation at said second position responsive to inward displacement of the trip rod formation by an entering hen. 
     
     
       6. A poultry nesting system as defined in claim 2, wherein said access controlling assembly includes a stationary anchoring member at the top thereof and said barrier forming entry control gate portion is formed of rod members including a cross rod near the top thereof fixed to gate rod portions defining the barrier formations which extend outwardly in said first position and downwardly in the blocking second position, and a coil spring tension connecting an offset mid-portion of said cross rod of each respective entry control gate assembly to said anchoring member providing an overcenter spring means acting on said gate portion to move it to a selected downwardly extending angular position at said second position responsive to inward displacement of the trip rod formation by an entering hen. 
     
     
       7. A poultry nesting system as defined in claim 4, wherein said access controlling assembly includes a stationary anchoring member at the top thereof and said barrier forming entry control gate portion is formed of rod members including a cross rod near the top thereof fixed to gate rod portions defining the barrier formations which extend outwardly in said first position and downwardly in the blocking second position, and a coil spring tension connecting an offset mid-portion of said cross rod of each respective entry control gate assembly to said anchoring member providing an overcenter spring means retracting said gate portion to occupy a selected downwardly extending angular relation at said second position responsive to inward displacement of the trip rod formation by an entering hen. 
     
     
       8. A poultry nesting system as defined in claim 5, wherein a linking spring and chain connects an upper portion of each respective gate/trip assembly with said lift bar for elevation of the barrier forming gate portion thereof to said first position upon upward movement of the lift bar. 
     
     
       9. A poultry nesting system as defined in claim 7, wherein a linking spring and chain connects an upper portion of each respective gate/trip assembly with said lift bar for elevation of the barrier forming gate portion thereof to said first position upon upward movement of the lift bar by winding of the cable means on the winch drum. 
     
     
       10. A poultry nesting system as defined in claim 8, wherein said trip gate is pivoted on rod portions of the access control gate portion near the top thereof to be freely rotatable thereon and includes abutment shoulder means engagable with the gate portion to shift the latter from said first position toward said second position upon rearward displacement of the trip rod formation during hen entry into the nest. 
     
     
       11. A poultry nesting system as defined in claim 9, wherein said trip gate is pivoted on rod portions of the gate portion near the top thereof to be freely rotatable thereon and includes abutment shoulder means engagable with the gate portion to shift the latter from said first position toward said second position upon rearward displacement of the trip gate during hen entry into the nest. 
     
     
       12. An elongated plural nest section for a poultry nesting system comprising a long side-by array of individual chambers defining nests arranged as a plurality of like modular sections, each section defining an elongated enclosure formed of vertical parallel end and intermediate side panels, top and bottom panels, and a rear wall providing the nests with front access openings to the respective nests along a front side of the enclosure, a hinged nest bottom for each respective nest overlying said bottom panel having an upper surface for receiving eggs thereon laid by the poultry hen occupying the nest, the hinged nest bottoms being tiltable about a common hinge axis member to cause eggs thereon to roll down to an egg discharge opening at the lower front side of the enclosure, a lifting tube member longitudinally spanning the associated section secured to a rear edge portion of the hinged nest bottoms for collectively raising all the nest bottoms of the associated section about the hinge axis member from a laying position to an elevated upwardly tilting expulsion position to eject poultry from the nests, a nest access controlling assembly for each nest pivotally mounted at the top of each access opening comprising a gate having a first position normally depending vertically downwardly over the major portion of the height of the access opening and a barrier forming entry control gate portion pivotally linked to the trip rod gate and normally extending horizontally outwardly from the top of the trip rod formation at said first position, the entry control gate portion being swung downwardly to a blocking second position over the access opening upon engagement of a hen with the trip gate during passage of a hen into the nest barring entry of a second hen into an already occupied nest, and time controlled poultry ejecting means coupled to said lifting tube member and collectively to the entry control gate to raise the lifting tube member about an arc shifting the nest bottoms concurrently to said upwardly titled expelling position and return the entry control gate to the said first positions in accordance with a pre-selected expelling and laying cycle. 
     
     
       13. A plural nest section for a poultry nesting system as defined in claim 12, wherein said poultry ejecting means includes an elongated lift bar spanning the length of the associated section supported above the access openings by pivot mounting means normally supporting the lift bar at a lowered position freeing the entry control gate portions for downward movement responsive to their linkage with the associated gate formation when the latter is displaced rearwardly by engagement with a first hen passing inward through the access opening, the pivot mounting means being raised by the ejecting means coupling therewith during an expulsion cycle to lift all the associated gate portions and restore them to said first positions. 
     
     
       14. A plural nest section for a poultry nesting system as defined in claim 13, wherein said poultry ejecting means includes a drive motor and winch drum and cable means secured to the drum and extending about pulleys to the lifting tube member to raise the latter upon winding of the cable on said drum and lift the nest bottoms concurrently to said upwardly tilting expelling position. 
     
     
       15. A plural nest section for a poultry nesting system as defined in claim 14, wherein said gate assembly includes a stationary anchoring member at the top thereof and said barrier forming entry control gate portion is formed of rod members including a cross rod near the top thereof fixed to gate rod portions defining the barrier formations which extend outwardly in said first position and downwardly in the blocking second position, and a coil spring tension connecting an offset mid-portion of said cross rod of each respective entry control gate assembly to said anchoring member providing an overcenter retracting of said entry control gate portion to a selected downwardly extending angular relation defining said second position responsive to inward displacement of the trip rod formation by an entering hen. 
     
     
       16. A plural nest section for a poultry nesting system as defined in claim 15, wherein a linking spring and chain connects an upper portion of each respective gate/trip assembly with said lift bar for elevation of the barrier forming entry control gate portion thereof to said first position upon upward movement of the lift bar by winding of the cable means on the winch drum. 
     
     
       17. A plural nest section for a poultry nesting system as defined in claim 16, wherein said trip gate is pivoted on rod portions of the entry control gate near the top thereof to be freely rotatable thereon and includes abutment shoulder means engagable with the entry control gate portion to shift the latter from said first position toward said second position upon rearward displacement of the trip rod formation during hen entry into the nest. 
     
     
       18. A poultry nesting system as defined in claim 14, wherein portions of said lifting tube member near opposite ends thereof and a rearmost end of said pivot mounting means supporting said lift bar have pulleys about which a lift cable for each respective section forming part said cable means are trained, and the cable means, including a main cable extending longitudinally over the length of the modular sections forming a whole nesting system line of such sections, an end of each said pair of lift cables for sections being secured respectively to said main cable to be moved by the main cable when the latter is wound up on the lift drum for concurrently lifting the nest bottoms and the associate lift bar during the expulsion cycle. 
     
     
       19. A poultry nesting system as defined in claim 15, wherein portions of said lifting tube member near opposite ends thereof and a rearmost end of said pivot mounting means supporting said lift bar have pulleys about which a lift cable for each respective section forming part said cable means are trained, and the cable means, including a main cable extending longitudinally over the length of the modular sections forming a whole nesting system line of such sections, an end of each said pair of lift cables for sections being secured respectively to said main cable to be moved by the main cable when the latter is wound up on the lift drum for concurrently lifting the nest bottoms and the associate lift bar during the expulsion cycle. 
     
     
       20. A poultry nesting system as defined in claim 16, wherein portions of said lifting tube member near opposite ends thereof and a rearmost end of said pivot mounting means supporting said lift bar have pulleys about which a lift cable for each respective section forming part said cable means are trained, and the cable means, including a main cable extending longitudinally over the length of the modular sections forming a whole nesting system line of such sections, an end of each said pair of lift cables for sections being secured respectively to said main cable to be moved by the main cable when the latter is wound up on the lift drum for concurrently lifting the nest bottoms and the associate lift bar during the expulsion cycle.